Author | Lightnews

Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1h

This is just not a problem any reasonable person would have.

Francesca Fiorentini @franifio.bsky.social · 3h

No one is saying the tattoo isn't deeply offensive. Nazis are bad. But no one has been able to prove that Platner is a Nazi in belief, words or deeds. Could it be he's telling the truth about being drunk and getting a dumb tattoo he randomly picked?

Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 5h

@neurobeat.co.uk one for you. The backing band - if you can call them that - is Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Kenny Aronoff.

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 5h

The new Sammy Hagar live album absolutely rips - there's no rock singer his age still performing at his level.

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 11h

Labour’s membership/activist base, while depleted, is also still sizeable. The Conservatives have totally fallen apart on that front, what few members they have live in care homes. Labour’s got issues inside parliament but it's still a political machine it can roll out.

Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1d

@sarafederbush.bsky.social

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1d

We enjoy noisily reading these things!

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1d

I can fully believe this

explodedsoda @explodedsoda.me · 1d

A study of 800 participants showed that having a smartphone nearby, even turned off, cuts cognitive capacity by roughly 10% because the brain spends resources resisting the urge to check it

www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...

Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity | Journal of the Association for Consumer Research: Vol 2, No 2

Abstract Our smartphones enable—and encourage—constant connection to information, entertainment, and each other. They put the world at our fingertips, and rarely leave our sides. Although these device...

www.journals.uchicago.edu

Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1d

"X but everyone is British" wouldn't have the same toxic effect

Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1d

That obsession with the US extends beyond X, and beyond the right, and beyond political geeks. More than ever before Brits seem to perceive ourselves as an extension of the US. That's definitely a social media thing, the Internet is so US dominated we just get sucked in.

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1d

I have a side theory which is that it isn't quite X that's the issue though it's connected: it's the Americafication of our politics. Angry racist right wingers have always been more socially acceptable there and through X our politicians watch and mimic them.

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Reposted by Rich

Hannah O'Hanrahahanrahan @tedmaul.bsky.social · 1d

In Norwich city centre there's a lovely department store with a food hall in the basement and they have a Room of Cheese.

Meanwhile in North Norwich:

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1d

Insane conspiracy theories are not a feature unique to the far right

George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 2d

Fentanyl and coke are the new “weapons of mass destruction” lie. It’s Iraq all over again, folks. It’s always about controlling the oil.

A tweet from Morgan J. Freeman states:
“FACT: Venezuela is NOT a major producer of cocaine.
They do not have large cocaine factories.
They do not produce fentanyl either.
What Venezuela does have is the world’s largest oil reserves.”

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1d

Wearing my Testament cap and just realised some people might assume I'm a passionate Christian #Metalsky

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 1d

They've also lost what few activist volunteers they had which is a costly loss and I'm guessing membership income has cratered as well.

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 2d

Agreed. They should know better. Maybe sympathy is too strong a word but I think if you believe people can be radicalised by an external force, even if they should know better, that's still acknowledging they're not solely responsible for it, which is a kinder take than saying they're inately evil.

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 2d

I think also a lot of the left *have* been calling people fascists who weren't fascists, so when those people on the centre right eventually get radicalised to the far right, their critics don't notice that a shift has taken place.

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 2d

An awful lot of the time I think people who are radicalised are essentially victims of misinformation. Lied to and tricked by the right wing populists. It's quite a sympathetic position.

People who hate those that think differently to themselves struggle with that idea.

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 3d

Labour need to do this while they can because these new Reform MPs are gonna get better at this stuff as they get used to being public figures.

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Rich @theramblingelf.bsky.social · 3d

Absolutely anyone who reads that statement will know it's calling it racism. I think it's actually communicated more effectively without using the word.

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